1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to roll holders and, more particularly, to roll holders for rotatably and interchangeably supporting rolls of wound material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with a wide variety of holders for interchangeably and rotatably supporting rolls of wound material. Many of these are designed for the dispensing of sheet material from a wound roll, such as toilet or paper towels. In holders of this type, the roll is usually supported by a pair of spaced roll supporting elements which flank the roll on its opposite ends and engage the roll core. One of the roll supporting elements usually comprises a movable arm pivotable between a roll supporting position adjacent one end of the roll and a roll loading position spaced from the roll. The pivot axis is usually disposed normal to the axis of the roll core. A complex spring-loaded latching mechanism is usually required to maintain the movable arm in its roll supporting position. It is often a cumbersome task to properly position the roll to be supported and manipulate the spring-loaded movable arm and locking means to engage and support the roll.
In one type of paper roll holder disclosed by Blunt in U.S. Pat. No. 3,022,957, an elongated roll supporting spindle is positioned between fixed support arms. The spindle is adapted to extend completely through the core of the paper roll, and is hingedly connected at one end to one of the arms along an axis which is oblique to the roll axis. The other arm has a cradle for supporting the free end of the spindle. The spindle may thus be swung upwardly and forwardly to change rolls. While this holder does obviate some of the complexities and shortcomings of the other types of prior art holders, it still presents some difficulties in unloading spent cores and loading fresh rolls. In this regard, the spent core must be manually withdrawn from the spindle while the spindle is held in an elevated position. In addition, the fixed arms must be unusually widely spaced to provide clearance for a full roll as it swings into position. This arrangement is most unsatisfactory for dispensers such as those which support and dispense paper towels from single or multiple rolls, wherein accurate roll positioning is most important for dispenser mechanism operation.